United Airlines flight forced to turn back after passenger brawl

Getting bored on a long-haul flight? Just beat someone up. You won't get charged with anything.

A United Airlines flight from Washington to Ghana turned back and made an emergency landing, after a fight broke out on board over a reclined seat.

Two F-16 fighter jets were scrambled to escort the Boeing 767 with 144 people onboard back to Washington-Dulles International Airport.

Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Laura Brown said Flight 990 bound for Accra, Ghana, returned to Dulles in Chantilly, Virginia, just after midnight on Sunday after a fist fight in the cabin.

The fight began soon after take-off when a passenger reclined his seat and a passenger behind him objected. A fight broke out and a flight attendant and another passenger tried to separate the pair.

The Cockpit audio with the control tower reveals the passenger who sparked the fight was not “secured” by the crew, but had “settled down” before the flight touched down.

Upon landing, the plane was met by officers from the Dulles police force at the airport. They determined that the incident did not warrant charges.

As no charges were laid, the names of the passengers involved have not been disclosed.

Newswarped is confused. Two passenger have a fight on a plane. Airline protocol’s dictate that the plane must land as soon as possible. Fuel needed to be dumped and jet fighters scrambled in case control of the aircraft was seized.

Everyone else on the plane was seriously inconvenienced, yet no charges are laid against the two fighting passengers? Nuts.